While looking at the Pal-Item last week….
Last Tuesday [April 7] the local newspaper printed a story about Indiana’s human services agency and changes to the system that just went into effect. The changes are part of an Indiana state contract with IBM to create a”modernized” welfare intake process.
I’m trying to be fair. I’m trying to understand. I’m trying to stay in my rational social scientist mind here as I read about these changes. The final outcome of the $1.16 billion dollar contract to streamline services is the removal of “personal interaction” between client and service provider. That’s the stance State Legislator and Republican Suzanne Crouch of Evansville has taken. In her words: “These enhancements address one small part of the modernization problem but do not address the lack of personal interaction.”
Hmm, the IBM streamlining has shorten the paper application for welfare and related services from a hopping 16 pages to 4 and you don’t need to pay a real person to do the interview.
But you have to be computer literate,
and have access to a computer
and an internet connection
if you need welfare services.
Hmm. the great digital divide widens yet again….
What’s the Indiana human services agency purpose? Oh yea, to use our tax dollars to help support people who are so poor they cannot pay bills and buy food and keep a roof over their heads.
Sounds like “Modernizing” the welfare intake process is another act of efficiency that falls short of being effective. My list of ethical, moral and practical questions about the amount of money it is taking to create an online welfare applciation system is only slightly shorter than the list of social justice issues this online system will create.
At the very top of my social justice list, I have to ask: “How many people with disabilities will this change in support services affect and what will they ultimately haver to do to make ends meet?”
Tags: digital divide, disabilities, poor, social justice, welfare
